


Sinbad and the Doctor

by pigeonking



Series: The Missing Doctor Adventures - Season One [8]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 15:01:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10337196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonking/pseuds/pigeonking
Summary: This is my tribute to the movies of Ray Harryhaussen with his legendary stop motion animated monsters.Also the Doctor and Clover take their relationship to the next level... ;)I have written an addendum to this story that goes into the Doctor and Clover's shenanigans in more explicit detail... I'm still undecided about whether I'm brave enough to share that one.... We'll see...





	

The Doctor and Clover were locked in a warm passionate kiss beside the TARDIS console; momentarily oblivious to the rise and fall of the column in its centre that indicated that they were in flight. This kiss had been initiated by Clover after the Doctor had suffered a crisis of faith in himself and their friendship following the aftermath of their recent encounter with the Daleks. The Doctor had experienced dark emotions that had never surfaced before in his current form and had been afraid that they would drive Clover away from him. She had responded with this kiss.

Now she started to fumble with the knot of his tie in an effort to undo it without breaking the kiss.

The Doctor pulled away from her and held her at arms’ length. Clover was panting from the exhilaration of the kiss and continued to work on the tie whilst fixing the Doctor with a hungry look.

“Erm… what are you doing?” the Doctor wondered, still breathless himself from their lip-locked embrace.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Clover purred flirtatiously.

“It looks like you’re trying to undo my tie…” he lost patience and undid it for her, taking off the tie and handing it to her though he still wasn’t sure why.

Clover dropped the tie on the floor and proceeded to set about unfastening the buttons of the Doctor’s shirt.

The Doctor took her hands gently to stop her.

“Why are you trying to take my clothes off?” he asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Clover replied with the filthiest ‘come-to-bed’ look she could muster.

The Doctor looked at her for a few moments and then it dawned on him.

“Oh! You want to do _that_!” he exclaimed in astonishment.

“Well, yeah. Don’t you?” Clover responded looking a little crestfallen.

“Well, I hadn’t really thought about it… except maybe that one time when you were wearing that…” he cleared his throat loudly and allowed the sentence to trail off unfinished.

“Wearing what?” Clover beamed. “No, go on, tell me!” she pleaded.

“Perhaps another time.” The Doctor told her. “On both counts. I… don’t want to do that right now.”

“But I thought…” Clover began.

“I love you, Clover. I really do and one day I would love to do… that… but try to think of this from my perspective.” The Doctor replied.

“Go on.” Clover prompted.

“I am a clone of a man who is over nine hundred years old and then some. My memories are that old. I have the body of a man in his late thirties, but I’ve only been alive in this body for less than a year!” the Doctor tried to explain.

“So either you’re my sugar daddy or my toy boy, which is it?” Clover teased.

“I’m both and maybe neither. I’m just the Doctor and I love you and I wouldn’t be without you… I just don’t want to do that with you just yet… please?”

“I love you too and if that’s what you want then I can wait.” Clover told him.

She bent over to pick up his tie and started to help him put it back on. When she had finished retying it she kissed him again and he kissed her back, short, sweet and chaste.

“Just so you know though, I won’t wait forever.” Clover winked at him as she slowly drew herself away.

“Duly noted.” The Doctor smiled back at her.

He turned back to the console.

“So!” he declared, back in business. “Where or when are we off to next?”

 

Voyaging the seven seas was ever a perilous past time, but Captain Sinbad was never more cautious than when he was sailing at night. Mercifully the seas were calm this night and they had the light of the moon and stars to guide them, but just as often and just as quickly the tides could quite literally turn against them. Storms would come, the clouds would cover the heavens and the waves would toss the ship to and fro, threatening to capsize them every minute. Sinbad and his crew had endured such a storm three nights ago and had been fortunate enough to find an alcove between two deserted islands that they were able to take shelter in for the night until the storm had passed.

This was Sinbad’s seventh voyage out from Baghdad into unchartered waters where he could seek his fortune. It was his hope that maybe on this journey he would be able to accumulate enough wealth to retire on so that he never need set sail again, but even as he thought this he knew that it was a vain hope. Even if he did come home to Baghdad with his hold full to bursting with riches, his wander-lust would not keep him at port for long.

On this calm night Sinbad’s eagle-eyed look-out, Eayan Alnnusr, was up in the crow’s nest keeping his sharp eyes peeled for any islands. Of islands there was no sign, but Eayan did spot something very unusual indeed as he looked out from his lofty vantage point; not one, but two shooting stars were visible on the horizon. One was lower than the other and burned brighter; the higher star seemed almost to be pursuing the burning star and then suddenly the brighter of the two plummeted into the water leaving behind a billowing cloud of smoke in its wake as it sank beneath the surface. The star that had been ‘pursuing’ the one that had fallen continued to drift almost parallel with the horizon before it vanished off into the night, its light diminishing as it receded out of sight.

“Captain! Captain!” Eayan called excitedly down to those on deck.

Sinbad was at the helm of the ship and he looked up at the crow’s nest on hearing faithful Eayan’s call.

“What is it, Eayan?” he hollered up. “What do you see?”

“A star fell into the sea, due east, not far from here. If we set sail now we would reach it before dawn.” Eayan replied.

“Stars fall from the sky all the time, my friend. What is so special about this one?” Sinbad wondered.

“This one I saw where it came down and it was not alone.” Eayan called to him.

“Not alone?” Sinbad hollered back. “You mean there were two stars?”

“There were two stars, but the other one did not fall. It continued to fly until it disappeared.” Eayan explained

Sinbad scratched his beard thoughtfully; this did sound curious indeed. Eayan was not a man who was given to wild fantasies.

“You heard the man!” he called to the rest of the crew. “Set sail, due east! We’ve got a fallen star to find!”

 

A few short hours later, just as the sun was beginning to creep over the horizon, Sinbad’s ship, _Chimera_ , approached the body of water where Eayan had seen the star come down. By this time there was no physical indication upon the water’s surface that anything had come down at all. They only had Eayan’s word that this was the spot where the star had fallen, but that was good enough for Sinbad.

He gave the order to strike the sails down and to weigh anchor and his loyal men rushed to see that this was done.

As the men hurried about the deck, Sinbad walked among them seeking the individual whose services he now required.

He found the young man, Sabir, the youngest man on his crew at just seventeen, tying down one of the sails that were no longer needed at present.

“Sabir!” Sinbad hailed him as he approached. “I have need of your expertise.”

Sabir smiled a greeting to his captain as he finished the knot he was tying, before giving his full attention to him.

“I believe that I can guess what it is that you require of me, Captain.” The young man remarked cheerfully.

“You are the greatest diver on this ship, perhaps even in all of Baghdad.” Sinbad replied as a matter of fact.

“Only all of Baghdad?” Sabir grinned immodestly. “You honour me with your words, Captain. Is it your wish that I should dive down to retrieve this star?”

“If it can be retrieved, yes.” Sinbad told him. “Do not risk yourself unnecessarily if it cannot be.”

“No fear of that, my Captain.” Sabir chuckled. “Allah gifted me with wisdom as well as great diving prowess!”

“I am pleased to hear it!” Sinbad smiled back.

It was then that another cry came from Eayan in the crow’s nest.

“There is a body drifting in the water of the starboard bow!”

“Sabir!” Sinbad barked urgently.

Without further prompting the young man ran to the edge of the ship and dove gracefully into the sea. He swam out to the drifting, prone figure, tucked them securely under one arm and then swam back again with his human cargo.

Sabir and his unconscious charge were duly pulled back on board by the other men of the ship.

The prone figure was laid out on the deck and everyman on board gathered around to see who or what it might be.

Sinbad shouldered his way to the front. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he gazed in wonder at the vision that lay before him.

A beautiful woman lay upon the deck, her eyes closed as if she were in a deep sleep, chest rising and falling steadily so that there was no doubt that she yet still lived. Her skin was as dark as rich mahogany, but her long flowing hair was hued a deep forest green. Strange as that was, her clothes were stranger still… a two piece silver outfit that consisted of a short sleeved jerkin and long trousers.

She was the strangest and yet the most beautiful woman that Sinbad had ever seen.

“Do you think she came from the star?” one of his men wondered.

“I don’t know.” Sinbad replied. “I cannot think where else. There is no land to speak of for miles around and we have seen no other ships.”

Before anyone else could speculate a strange sound suddenly filled the air. It was a howling and grinding noise and it seemed to be coming from below.

“We are being assailed by demons from below!” one of the men cried out in terror.

Sinbad drew his scimitar from its scabbard.

“Did I not pick a crew of the bravest men in all Baghdad? We fear no demons!” he decreed. “Who’s with me?”

Emboldened by their captain’s words many of them drew out their own weapons and joined him as he made his way to investigate whatever dwelled within the hold of the ship.

Sinbad led his men, scimitar in hand, down the wooden steps that led into the hold of the _Chimera_.

Just the fact that their captain was willing to take the lead as they descended into unknown terrors was enough to inspire courage in the men where otherwise they may not have had any.

They did not see any demons as they took the last steps into the hold, nor did any leap out of the shadows to attack them.

In fact the only thing that seemed remiss about the lower deck was the presence of a large blue box that stood among the barrels of drinking water that had been brought for their voyage.

“Unless my memory deceives me, I do not recall seeing that there before!” Sinbad observed dryly, provoking a ripple of nervous laughter from his men.

A door on the front of the blue box opened and two strangers emerged. One was a man who looked to be around Sinbad’s age, wearing a grey coat over a blue tunic and black trousers and strange black boots. He also appeared to be wearing a hangman’s noose of blue silk about his neck. The second was a young woman who rivalled the green haired stranger who still lay unconscious above deck for beauty. She had long golden blonde hair that came to her shoulders and sapphire blue eyes. Her clothes were more traditionally Arabic than the male’s. She wore a red long-sleeved silk blouse that barely covered her midriff and matching silk trousers, with tanned leather sandals upon her feet.

“Well hello there!” the man declared with a cheery wave; his voice carried an accent that Sinbad had not encountered before on any of his travels, yet he spoke perfect Arabic.

“Hi!” the woman joined in with a little wave of her own.

The men hung back, not sure what to make of these two strangers. It looked like it would be up to Sinbad alone to see whether they meant good or ill.

“What are you? How come you to be on my ship?” he asked.

“I am the Doctor and this is my lady friend, Clover. We mean you no harm, I assure you.” The man replied, the good cheer in his voice unwavering.

“Careful, Captain. These Jinn are not to be trusted!” one of the men warned.

“We are not Jinn, I promise you that.” The Doctor assured him with a placating smile.

“What’s a Jinn, Doctor?” Clover whispered aside to him. “I’m not sure I’ve heard of them.”

Sinbad picked up on Clover’s discreet question and latched onto it as a means to try and reassure his men.

“You hear that, my friends?” he chuckled. “This one does not even know what a Jinn is! Perhaps we have nothing to fear after all?”

“Then how did they get on our ship?” another man wondered.

“Yeah, Doctor!” Clover nudged the Doctor with her elbow. “How’re you going to explain that one, eh?”

“Would you believe… magic?” the Doctor offered, spreading his arms out in an open handed gesture, wiggling his fingers theatrically.

All the men, except Sinbad, gasped at this, as if they expected more magic, but when nothing happened they looked around at each other nonplussed.

It soon dawned on everyone assembled that the Doctor and Clover were quite harmless and they all started to put away their weapons.

Sinbad stepped up to the newcomers and offered his hand in greeting.

“I do not know why you are on our ship, but so long as you mean us no harm you are quite welcome. I am Captain Sinbad.” He said as he first shook the Doctor’s hand and then kissed Clover’s.

“Captain Sinbad?” the Doctor beamed, “ _The_ Captain Sinbad? As in Sinbad the Sailor?”

“You have heard of me then?” Sinbad grinned, glowing with pleasure at the Doctor’s obvious enthusiasm.

“Who hasn’t heard of Sinbad?” the Doctor gushed.

“I haven’t!” Clover cut in.

The Doctor glared at her.

“Yes you have!” he insisted. “Do you not remember that movie we watched? The one with the Cyclops and the sword fighting skeleton?”

“Oh, _that_ Captain Sinbad!” Clover realised as she cottoned on.

“I’m sorry, but what is a movie?” Sinbad wondered.

The rest of the men had since returned above deck to resume their duties. A voice from above saved the Doctor from having to explain a twentieth Century concept to a tenth Century man.

“Captain! The lady from the water! She is awake!”

“Lady from the water?” the Doctor remarked curiously.

“Come above and you shall see, Doctor.” Sinbad replied. “We brought her aboard mere moments before your arrival. A remarkable coincidence, don’t you think?” The tone in Sinbad’s voice suggested that he did not think it a coincidence at all.

“I assure you, Captain, that a coincidence is all it is.” The Doctor insisted as he and Clover followed Sinbad to the deck above.

“We shall see.” Sinbad answered evenly.

The strange green haired woman was sat up now. Someone had fetched her some pillows to lie upon so that she would be comfortable. The woman offered a nervous smile as Sinbad approached with the Doctor and Clover in tow.

“You are the captain of this vessel?” she asked.

“I am indeed. My name is Sinbad. May I ask who you are, my lady?”

“My name is Ameline and I fear that now I may be the last of my people. I would ask you for sanctuary, if you will grant it?” the woman replied.

“You may have it, fair Ameline. While you are on my ship you need fear no man!” Sinbad declared with a bow.

“I am pleased to hear it, but I am sorry to say that it is no man that I flee from and he will not rest until he sees me dead. He already may be looking for me to see if I survived the crash of my ship.” Ameline remarked cryptically.

“The star that fell last night.” Sinbad realised. “That was your ship?”

“Yes.” Ameline nodded.

“Who were your people?” the Doctor asked.

She turned to look at the Doctor.

“My people were the Sardida. We had a great Empire before the Cyclopeans came to destroy it. It is one of their deadliest assassins who pursues me.” She told him.

“The Sardida were a noble people. I am sorry to hear of your loss.” The Doctor bowed his head sadly.

“If this Cyclops is after you, my fair lady, then you have my vow that I and my crew will protect you!” Sinbad declared.

“Thank you, Captain.” Ameline smiled.

There suddenly came another cry from Eayan Alnnusr up in the crow’s nest.

“Captain! Something approaches! It is flying in very fast from the east!”

“Can you see what it is, Eayan?” Sinbad called up.

“It looks like…” the look-out’s voice faltered. “It is our doom!”

With that cry of despair Eayan flung himself over the side of the crow’s nest and shimmied down the mast as quickly as he was able.

“We must set sail at once, Captain and flee from here as quickly as we are able! Our doom is upon us!” the look-out cried hysterically.

Sinbad grabbed the man and shook him.

“What is it, Eayan?” he demanded. “What did you see?”

“Look!!!” one of the men shouted in alarm and pointed.

Everyone turned to see what the man was pointing at.

Up in the sky, flying over the sea there was a great gigantic bird with talons big enough to grasp an elephant. It resembled a large eagle with brown feathers flecked with shimmering blue highlights. Two large black eyes glared at them over the top of a huge dark hued beak that looked as though it could tear through boulders. Its wingspan was so great that the wind created by its flapping buffeted the _Chimera_ and might have capsized them had the sails been unfurled.

“That’s a Garvalien Eagle!” the Doctor exclaimed.

“No, Doctor! You are mistaken!” Sinbad corrected. “That is a Roc!”

The Doctor looked at Sinbad as if the sea captain had just slapped him. He wasn’t used to having his identification of monsters questioned.

“Alright, have it your way.” He said at last, “It’s a Roc.”

And then there was no more time for talk as the Garvalien Eagle or Roc or whatever it was dove in for an attack!

As the great bird swooped downwards nearly everyone on the deck of the _Chimera_ milled about in a panic.

Some men even flung themselves overboard and into the water, rather than stay to face the incoming monster.

The first pass of the Roc all but completely missed the _Chimera_ , the slipstream of its passing causing the ship to rock uneasily from side to side.

Only Sinbad, the Doctor, Clover, Ameline and a few of the other sailors had stood their ground during that first feint.

“It’s testing our resolve; our defences. Seeing what we’ll do when it attacks!” Sinbad realised as the Roc flapped away, only to turn around and swoop again for another attack.

“If it’s been sent by that Cyclops, then it must only be after Ameline.” Clover noted. “Perhaps it’s just looking for an opening so it can grab her?”

“Remember, Clover, that the Cyclops is an assassin who wants Ameline dead. We are just collateral damage. I don’t think the Roc is going to care who gets hurt when it finally makes its attack!” the Doctor reminded her.

As if to prove the Doctor’s statement, this time as the Roc dive-bombed the _Chimera_ it actually knocked the top of the mast hard enough to send the ship leaning over to the port side. The ship started to tip further and further onto its side… soon everyone on board would end up capsized into the sea!

“Quick everyone!” the Doctor shouted at the top of his voice, sounding like a loud Scottish Drill-Sergeant. “All of you run to starboard! Now!”

As if they were one living organism everyone on the deck of the ship scrambled as quickly as they could to the right hand side of the _Chimera_.

Almost immediately the shift of weight to that one side proved heavy enough to check the ship’s precarious leaning to port and the _Chimera_ was once again righted.

“Quick thinking, Doctor!” Sinbad praised, patting the Time Lord on the back heartily. “Where did you learn such a trick?”

The Doctor thought back to his time with Clover back in the house at Allen Road when they used to watch DVDs together and that one night when they stayed up and watched all of the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ movies in one sitting.

“Just an old pirates’ trick!” the Doctor told Sinbad with a conspiratorial wink.

“Say no more.” Sinbad replied knowingly. “Say no more!”

“It’s coming back again!” one of the men shouted.

And sure enough the Roc began to dive in for a third pass.

It struck the mast again and this time the ship began to list to starboard.

“Everybody to port!” Sinbad shouted immediately.

Again everyone surged to the other side of the ship and the perilous leaning was halted before it could begin.

This time, before the Roc could turn for its next pass, Sinbad darted for the mast and began to shimmy up to the crow’s nest as quick as a monkey. He reached the ‘nest’ and climbed into it just as the Roc was turning to attack again. It swooped towards him, its huge form blotting out the horizon as it drew nearer.

Sinbad crouched low like a tiger preparing to pounce and as the Roc dove at him, its talons extended in an effort to grasp him as it passed, that was exactly what he did! The courageous sea captain vaulted up onto the bird, dodging those tearing talons. He grasped a handful of those great blue tinged feathers and pulled himself up onto the monstrous bird’s back as it swept over the _Chimera_ again. This time it did not touch the top of the mast as on this occasion it had been more intent on killing Sinbad than overturning the ship. It flapped back out over the open water with its new unwanted passenger. The Roc performed a barrel-roll in the air in an effort to shake off Sinbad, but the tenacious captain clung on for dear life, his hands dug deep into its coarse blue plumage. It even tried twisting its great beak around to try and tear the sailor off, but Sinbad ducked out of reach and with one hand still entwined in its feathers, he used his other to pull free his scimitar from its scabbard. As the Roc twisted again to try and snap at him, Sinbad slashed the bird across its face, opening up a red, bleeding welt between its eyes. The Roc screeched in pain.

It rolled again in the sky to dislodge this biting pest, but even one-handed Sinbad still refused to be shaken. Once it had righted again Sinbad chanced to take his scimitar in both hands; he upended the blade and drove it down with all his might between the monstrous bird’s shoulder blades. The Roc screeched again. Sinbad twisted the sword down deeper, left then right. The Roc’s screeches became louder and its flapping became more frenetic. Then finally Sinbad tugged the sword free in a gout of crimson. The Roc emitted one last feeble squawk and became limp. It plummeted from the air like a stone and just before it struck the water, Sinbad took his chance to leap clear and dive safely into the ocean. The Roc’s dead carcass hit the water moments after he did and the mini tidal wave created by the impact lifted Sinbad and carried him back to his waiting ship where he was lifted aboard by his men amid cheers of triumph and jubilation.

“That was amazing!” Clover declared, awestruck.

“Exactly what I would have done, if Sinbad hadn’t beaten me to it!” the Doctor insisted.

“Doctor, green is so not your colour.” Clover smirked and she gave her Time Lord a kiss on the cheek to soften the gentle rebuke.

The blood of the fallen Roc clouded the water and was already attracting sharks. Those men that had jumped overboard in their panic were now swimming back to the _Chimera_ and begging to be allowed back on board.

“Look at these fine brave men of Baghdad, who turned tail and fled at the first sight of danger!” Sinbad declared to his gathered crew. He was answered by raucous laughter from those that had remained brave and faithful.

“Give me one good reason why I should allow you cowardly curs back aboard my ship?” Sinbad demanded.

“Forgive us, Captain and have mercy!” one man entreated. “If you do not save us we will be food for the sharks!”

“If I allow you all back on board do I have your word… your oaths, that you will not flee again next time danger threatens us?” Sinbad called to them.

He was answered by a chorus of vows, promises and oaths from the terrified men in the water, which was met with more laughter from the men on board.

“Alright,” Sinbad laughed, “Bring our ‘brave’ men aboard!”

“Allah be praised!” the men in the water exalted as they were rescued, throwing themselves upon Sinbad and repeating their vows of loyalty gratefully once they were safe.

The _Chimera_ drifted away from the carcass of the Roc which was rapidly being torn apart by the frenzied sharks.

“Thank you for protecting me, Captain.” Ameline said to Sinbad as the captain stripped off his wet shirt and hung it to dry over a nearby railing.

“I did only what any man would have done under the circumstances.” Sinbad replied modestly.

“Not any man.” Ameline insisted with a knowing glance at some of the men that had recently been allowed back on board. “I am afraid that we are not safe yet though. When his pet does not return Hareechun will send another monster or he will come himself. He will not rest until he knows I am dead!”

“Then perhaps we should go to this Hareechun before he can come to us!” Sinbad declared.

“Sounds like a fair plan to me.” The Doctor agreed.

“Why didn’t this Hareechun come in his ship in the first place?” Clover wondered. “He could easily have blasted Sinbad’s ship out of the water and sunk us all!”

“The _Chimera_ is not so easily sunk!” Sinbad boasted defensively.

“I fear it would be, Captain, if Hareechun did decide to come after us. His ship is a star ship as mine was and has great weapons that your vessel would not be a match against.” Ameline assured him. “Fortunately that is not his style. He is known as the Master of Monsters because instead of conventional weapons he prefers to use a menagerie of monstrous beasts to do his killing for him. He keeps them miniaturised within a mini-scope, only releasing them when he needs them and all are enthralled to do his bidding. Hareechun also possesses the means to create monsters. It is a passion of his. It is why he is the most feared of all the Cyclopean assassins!”

“Then it certainly sounds like finding him first is our best course of action.” The Doctor decided.

“But how are we going to find him?” Clover wondered. “If he has landed his ship on an island then he could be anywhere!”

“You forget, Clover, that his ship is alien and will have alien technology on board which can be tracked and I have the means to track it on board the TARDIS. In fact, Captain Sinbad, I have a proposition for you!” the Doctor declared.

“Name it!” Sinbad replied gamely.

“I propose that you, Ameline and a select handful of your bravest men join Clover and I aboard my TARDIS and we will use it to travel directly to wherever Hareechun has landed his ship. We will take the fight to him. Are you with me?” the Doctor replied.

“I must confess to being a little curious about this TARDIS of yours, Doctor. Your proposition is a sound one.” Sinbad responded with a smile. “We will make preparations for our departure immediately!”

 

A short while later the Doctor and Clover were outside the TARDIS, down in the cargo hold along with Sinbad, who had changed into some dry clothes, Ameline, who had been furnished with a bow and a quiver of arrows so that she may defend herself and six of the _Chimera_ ’s bravest sailors, handpicked by Sinbad to accompany them on their mission.

“Is there a reason why all of these men are wearing red shirts, Captain?” the Doctor whispered to Sinbad discreetly.

“None whatsoever.” Sinbad replied. “They were a gift from me after our last voyage, made from the finest Persian silk. Why do you ask?”

The Doctor shook his head hastily. “Oh, no reason. No reason at all!”

Eayan Alnnusr had given Ameline a brief lesson in how to use the bow and arrows and the alien woman had caught on rather quickly, proving herself to be an excellent shot.

“We have something similar where I come from.” She had told the eagle-eyed sailor kindly.

Once they were all assembled the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and opened the doors to let everyone in.

“After you.” He said to Sinbad with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Sinbad had marched straight into the blue box and his six men had followed after him.

“In the name of Allah and all the prophets!” Sinbad exclaimed in wonder at the sight of the TARDIS’s cavernous interior.

The Doctor and Clover came in behind them. Both were amused by the reactions of the Arab sailors.

“You lied to us, Doctor!” Sinbad accused, but there was no malice in his words. “You said that you were not a Jinn and yet is this not like the inside of one of their magic lamps?”

The Doctor had crossed to the control console and closed the doors before setting about the task of scanning for the alien technology of Hareechun’s ship.

“I suppose that’s a far simpler explanation than the truth.” The Time Lord replied enigmatically.

“And what is the truth?” Sinbad asked curiously.

“Clover and I are not of your time. We come from a future where technology is far more advanced than anything that is known by your civilisation in this period. The TARDIS is a ship just like the _Chimera_ , but rather than sailing over the sea it ‘sails’ through the vortex of time and space.” The Doctor’s hands hovered over the control panel, “Right now I could take you to see your future where great iron chariots without horses charge along concrete roads and metal birds fly in the skies, or I could take you to the past where you could meet your ancestors or encounter terrible primeval creatures that would put your Roc to shame!”

“If it’s all the same to you, Doctor, I’d much rather get on with fighting this Cyclops if you don’t mind?” Sinbad replied with a grin.

“Cyclops it is!” the Doctor declared, his fingers tapped the keys at a hundred miles per hour as he ran the scan for the Cyclopean ship.

“I’ve got it!” he exclaimed in triumph and he began to lay in co-ordinates. “He’s brought his ship down on an island several nautical miles north-east of the _Chimera_ ’s position. I can get us there yesterday… which would be no good to us, so I’ll get us there, say five minutes ago instead, how does that sound?”

The central column in the console began to rise and fall, indicating that they were in flight.

“Sounds good to me, Doctor.” Sinbad chuckled.

The TARDIS was on its way.

 

Hareechun was admiring the new additions to his monster collection. Hopefully he’d get to use them soon. In fact he was counting on it as his Garvalien Eagle should have returned long ago. It was safe to say that the magnificent bird was lost, which meant that his target yet lived.

Hareechun mourned the loss of his pet, but at the same time relished the opportunity to try out the new monsters that he had created.

Before he had found this island and set down on it his ship had encountered one of the primitive Earthling sea vessels drifting over the waves majestically. Hareechun had fired upon the sea ship and caused it to sink, but before it disappeared beneath the waves he used his transmat system to transport some of the ship’s crew and its cargo aboard his own. A scan of the vessel had revealed some interesting cargo. Upon interrogating the ship’s primitive commander with the mind-probe, Hareechun had discovered that the vessel was a merchant trader’s ship and that this particular trader specialised in capturing exotic beasts from some continent called Africa, or something like that, and selling them to rich people as pets. A couple of the beasts in particular had intrigued Hareechun. There were two large tawny coloured creatures with tearing claws and dagger-like teeth and a mane of shaggy dark fur about their necks and heads that gave them a regal, majestic appearance. The primitive had called them lions. Then there was the long serpentine reptile with a mottled leathery hide of dark and light browns with its small dark eyes and the black tongue that flicked out occasionally to taste its surroundings. This creature was called a python.

Hareechun saw possibilities with these creatures.

On the island he had discovered other beasts roaming freely. Eight-legged invertebrates with segmented tails containing potent venom and hoofed mammals with horns that bleated and chewed vigorously on the local vegetation. These, he learned, were scorpions and goats and Hareechun found possibilities in these creatures too. Yes, even the goats.

Hareechun had used his Molecular Infuser to create two new monsters for his menagerie using these beasts and had even thrown the merchant captain into one of the mixes. The results had been… fascinating.

A monitor beside him began to flash. Apparently there was a temporal disturbance somewhere on the island.

It was time to release his new creations!

 

The TARDIS materialised on a perimeter halfway between the beach and the tree line of the island’s little jungle. As soon as the landing was complete the door opened and the occupants spilled forth; the Doctor and Clover first, followed by Ameline, Sinbad and his chosen men.

“I do not see this Cyclops’s ship.” Sinbad stated as they set foot upon the white sandy beach.

“It’s on the other side of the island.” The Doctor informed him. “We’re going to make our way round and surprise him.”

“He will be ready for us.” Ameline warned him. “The arrival of your time ship will have been detected.”

“That can’t be helped.” The Doctor replied. “We’ll just have to hope that we’re up to the task of taking on whatever he sends after us.” With those words he took out his sonic sword and activated the blade.

“A magic blade!” Sinbad marvelled. “Where can I get one of those?”

Clover took out hers and activated it also.

“The twin blades of Sonicia are unique, there are none others like them.” She told Sinbad with a wry smile.

“Sonicia? That is a land that I have never voyaged to.” Sinbad remarked in awe.

“And neither will you, as it has now sunk beneath the waves, just like Atlantis!” the Doctor replied with feigned regret and a subtle wink in Clover’s direction.

“A sad tale, indeed!” Sinbad nodded morosely.

A loud violent rustling was suddenly heard coming from the jungle behind them as if something big was heading their way.

“Well that didn’t take long!” the Doctor exclaimed as they all turned as one, weapons in hand, to face whatever would emerge.

The first monster to erupt from the jungle was a terrifying miss-match of creatures. At first glance it appeared to be a lion, albeit twice the size of your average everyday leonine. This lion, however, had the head of an angry looking goat infused upon its left shoulder and its tail was actually the body and head of a great python.

The second beast to emerge was no less strange, if not more so! Again the principle torso of the creature was that of an oversized lion, but this time the head was that of a rabid, slavering bearded man, but there was no humanity left in those dark eyes, only a feral savagery, hungry for flesh; its teeth were elongated like ivory daggers. The tail was that of a scorpion, black and segmented, the venomous barbed tip poised to strike.

“What the fuck!” was Clover’s colourful reaction to the appearance of the two beasts.

“A Chimera and a Manticore!” the Doctor exclaimed, “Hareechun must know something of classical mythology or else this is a very serendipitous amalgamation on his part!”

And then there was no more time for talk as battle was joined.

Ameline loosed her first arrow which embedded itself within the neck of the Chimera’s goat head.

It bleated in pain, but otherwise did not seem too phased. The Chimera’s attention, however, was now drawn towards the bow wielding alien.

Sinbad darted forward with his scimitar raised as the Chimera bounded towards Ameline. The sea captain slashed at the nose of the lion’s head, drawing a bloody line from muzzle to chin. This brought an angry roar from the Chimera’s lion head and it took a swipe at Sinbad with the claws of its huge right paw. Sinbad leapt back out of reach. This caused something of a dilemma for the dual-headed beast as the lion head wanted to attack Sinbad while the goat head still wanted revenge on Ameline. Both heads tried to pull the body in separate directions and as a result the Chimera ended up getting nowhere!

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Clover were desperately trying to stay out of reach of the Manticore’s venomous sting. They would dart in and slash at the creature with their nano-blades then hastily withdraw as it lashed back at them with either its claws or its barbed tail. Assailed from both sides, it was not sure which to concentrate its attack on for as soon as it turned on one, the other would come in and strike. The Manticore was bleeding from several minor cuts across its neck, head and abdomen, yet it had failed to score a single hit upon its tormentors.

The six men that Sinbad had brought with him had hung back at first, terrified of these bizarre creatures, but when they saw their captain and the three strangers fighting bravely and seemingly taking the upper-hand they quickly entered the fray.

Three went to join their captain and Ameline against the Chimera while the other three rushed to the Doctor and Clover’s aid.

One man rushed the Chimera and stabbed his scimitar into the point where the lion and goat heads were joined. Both heads bellowed with pain and rage, but it was the latter emotion that dominated. Suddenly the head of the python whipped forward and the great serpentine jaws enveloped the head of the man who had stabbed it. The man screamed and dropped his sword as the needle sharp teeth of the python buried into his skull. Then the python head whipped back again, still carrying the man’s head in its mouth and carried the screaming man bodily into the air to fling him into the jungle behind them. The man collided sickeningly with the trunk of a nearby tree and his broken body tumbled to the floor.

Another man chivalrously attempted to defend Clover from a blow that came from the Manticore’s scorpion tail. He threw himself in front of her with the intention of deflecting the stinger with his curved blade. Instead he ended up with the venomous, barbed tip impaled deep into his heart. He shrieked in agony as the toxin flowed into him setting his veins and arteries aflame within.

Clover was quick to avenge him as she dodged around his flailing corpse as it slid off the end of the stinger, and she brought her nano-blade down on the tail, severing the deadly tip in a gout of black ichor and toxic venom.

The Manticore rounded on her with a roar of pain and anger, long, ivory jaws slathering with blood lust.

Clover somersaulted backwards out of reach as it swiped at her with one gigantic paw.

The Doctor took his chance then and he sprang forward. He took his sonic sword in both hands and plunged it downwards into the Manticore’s neck. It sank in deep all the way down to the hilt and the Doctor continued to pull it down, opening an ugly rent into the side of the neck. Blood spouted forth in an arterial fountain of death. The Manticore flailed wildly at the Doctor and caught him with a glancing blow which felled him face first into the sand, but the damage was done and the creature was dying.

It rolled over onto its back, the nano-blade still embedded deep into its neck and it tried vainly to tug the offending object loose with its forepaws. Blood continued to pump forth until the Manticore’s efforts became weaker and weaker and then finally it gave up altogether. The last of its blood spilled into the sand and it became still.

The Chimera was gradually being worn down by its opponents too as Sinbad and his men harassed it with their scimitars. It was bleeding from several wounds and the attacks from all sides were confusing its multiple heads so that it did not know who to go after.

Sinbad and his men peeled off from another attack and stood back as Ameline notched another arrow and took aim. She fired and this time the arrow sank into the left eye of the goat head, piercing its brain. The goat head went limp.

The lion head of the Chimera turned on her, though its movement was hampered by the dead weight of the goat head.

Ameline had already notched a third arrow and calmly stood her ground as the Chimera lumbered towards her. Without flinching she steadied the bow and loosed the arrow at point blank range into the lion’s face, embedding it deep into the bridge of its nose and between the eyes. The lion head slumped dead and the entire front half of the Chimera collapsed. Only the back end still functioned, barely, and the python headed tail thrashed from side to side threatening Sinbad and his men as they moved in for the kill.

The python head lunged at Sinbad and he sidestepped it nimbly, bringing down his scimitar and severing the head at the base of the neck. The hindquarters of the Chimera sank to the ground, only the stump of the snake-like tail continued to twitch, spraying blood in all directions like a garden hose until it too weakened and died with the rest of its body.

Both monsters lay dead and the slayers took a moment to catch their breath. Two of Sinbad’s men were slain and the Doctor lay face down in the sand.

Clover was kneeling beside him. She rolled him onto his back and lifted his head into her lap. A slight trickle of blood flowed from a tiny cut on his forehead and his eyes were closed.

“Wake up, you son of a bitch!” Clover scalded him gently, caressing his face in her hand. She bent her face to his and kissed him softly on the lips.

The Doctor’s eyes flickered open and he smiled up at Clover.

“I should get knocked out more often!” he grinned.

Clover laughed and then she hit him.

“Ouch!” the Doctor protested as he clambered back to his feet.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Clover rebuked him, just barely holding back tears of happiness. She grabbed him and pulled him to her, kissing him long and deep.

“I really should get knocked out more often!” the Doctor sighed breathlessly as they came up for air.

“If you two have quite finished, perhaps we should get going before Hareechun sends more monsters after us.” Sinbad suggested with an amused smirk.

The Doctor crossed to the carcass of the Manticore and tugged his sonic sword from out of its neck. He wiped the blade of the sword on the creature’s flank before deactivating it. His face had become saddened, the previous good humour chased away by a frown.

“In the heat of the battle I was enjoying myself.” The Doctor confessed guiltily. “But these poor creatures did not ask to become monsters and neither did this man.” He reached out and closed the staring eyes of the Manticore’s human head. The deathly gaze had seemed meant for him, full of silent reproach.

“We had to kill them, Doctor, or else they would have killed us.” Clover said to him softly, squeezing his hand.

He smiled at her.

“Yes, I know. And we’re probably going to have to do it again very soon.” He sighed. “Come on. Let’s get it over with!”

 

They decided in the end to travel through the jungle, following the path of debris that had been left in the wake of the Chimera and Manticore. It didn’t take them long to traverse the length of the small island to find the beach at the other end. The gradient of the ground sloped upwards the further in they went and by the time that they had reached the other end they had had to climb over a slight incline and down again towards the narrow sandy beach.

There was no sign of Hareechun’s ship until one of Sinbad’s men spotted it perched upon the edge of a broad plateau overhanging the sea.

“He who holds the high ground wins the battle.” Sinbad remarked darkly.

“Not if we share the high ground with him.” The Doctor replied. “We need to try and get up there before he realises that we’re here.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Ameline asked.

“We need to go back into the jungle and get off this beach for starters.” The Doctor answered her.

They quickly melted back into the cover of the jungle. Once they were confident that they couldn’t be seen they began to ascend the steep inclination towards Hareechun’s plateau.

It took them around half an hour to achieve the summit and they had to stop and rest, eating some of their provisions and drinking a little water before continuing on to where the Cyclopean ship waited for them.

They approached the ship cautiously using the surrounding rocks and foliage for cover. As they drew nearer they caught sight of their enemy for the first time.

The Cyclops stood just over eight feet tall upon cloven hooves that protruded from tanned leather trousers, made from the hide of some unknown extra-terrestrial exotic beast. He did not wear anything above the waist and his skin was a pallid pale brown hue. Hareechun had a large, bald rounded head with pointed ears, a flat nose and a single horn that protruded from his forehead, just above his single eye with its dazzling blue iris. His wide, leering mouth was filled with crooked shark-like teeth and his long muscular arms ended in three-fingered hands tipped with dagger-like claws. A shimmering silver belt was looped about his waist with a holster that contained some sort of futuristic firearm.

When they saw him he was dragging the corpses of several men, around ten in all, and arranging them in a line around the perimeter of his ship.

“Are they your men, Sinbad?” the Doctor whispered. “Could he have attacked your ship after we left it?”

“No.” Sinbad replied. “Those men are Greek merchant seamen.”

“What is he doing with them?” Clover wondered.

“I think we’re about to find out!” the Doctor remarked cryptically.

Once Hareechun had set down the last of the men he stepped back and pulled his strange looking weapon from its holster.

He took aim at the first corpse over on the far left and fired upon it.

A translucent ray of yellow light bathed the inert cadaver and seemed to dissolve all of the flesh from it until all that remained was a gleaming white skeleton.

For the first time the Doctor noticed that a long bladed falchion had been laid beside each cadaver, just within reach of their limp, dead hands. The Doctor did not like the look of this at all.

Hareechun repeated the same process with all of the other nine lined out corpses until he was left with a row of ten complete skeletons, each with a deadly falchion blade within its grasp.

“We need to attack now!” the Doctor urged.

“What’s wrong, Doctor?” Clover asked him anxiously.

“Remember the climactic scene from _The 7 th Voyage of Sinbad_?” the Doctor reminded her.

“Shit!” Clover cursed as she remembered.

“Exactly!” the Doctor agreed. “Come on!”

He rose from his hiding place and charged at the Cyclops with his nano-blade extended.

Clover, Sinbad and the others were quick to follow suit.

Hareechun turned and cackled with wry amusement as he saw his enemies rushing towards him.

He stepped behind the line of skeletons.

“Fools!” he cried in a deep booming voice, “Did you think that I did not expect this?”

His thumb touched a button on the side of his gun.

One by one the skeletons began to jerk into animated life. Their bony, skeletal fingers closed around the hilts of their weapons and they sprang jerkily to their feet, almost in unison; the rattling of their bones sounding like an eerie xylophone of impending doom.

“Kill them!” Hareechun bellowed. “Kill them all!”

The skeletons lurched forward as one, their falchions raised to attack.

The Doctor and Clover were the first to meet them, their nano-blades clashing against the skeletons’ falchion blades.

“How are they being animated?” Clover wondered as she sidestepped the lunge of one skeleton before bringing it crashing down to the ground, swiping its legs from underneath it with a sweeping kick. The skeleton quickly sprang to its feet again, none the worse for wear after its tumble, and came at Clover again.

“Death nanites I would imagine.” The Doctor replied as he fenced with two other skeletons, parrying their blows deftly with his blade. “Otherwise known as Deathites. They’ve been outlawed for centuries by the Shadow Proclamation, but of course this could always be a time period before that happened.”

“Or maybe the Cyclops just doesn’t care?” Clover added as she battered aside her skeleton’s falchion and followed through with a high kick to its head. The kick was hard enough to send the skull flying from the neck and land with a skull-crunching crack upon the rocks nearby. Even without its head the skeletal body continued to swipe its sword wildly in its efforts to kill Clover.

“Yes, there is that, of course!” the Doctor agreed. He managed to get between his two opponents and then jumped out of the way just as both of them lunged at him with their blades. Instead of impaling him they ended up running each other through and the wide blades of their falchions became stuck in one another’s ribcage.

The two skeletons tugged wildly as they tried to free their respective blades and while they were so occupied the Doctor used his sonic sword to cut their legs from under them, severing the knee joints so that both collapsed in a tangled pile of bones.

Meanwhile Sinbad and his four remaining men were fending off the other skeletons.

Sinbad was holding his own quite admirably as he matched his opponent blow for blow and parry for parry. He knew that he would tire before the skeleton – the skeleton wouldn’t tire at all – so he was controlling the course of the battle by luring the skeleton exactly where he wanted it.

Hareechun could see exactly what Sinbad was intending and tried to shout a warning to his skeletal minion.

“Watch out, you fool! You’re too close to the…”

Too late; Sinbad lashed out at the skeleton with a sideways kick and sent it flying over the edge of the plateau to crash upon the sandy beach below.

One of his men was not so lucky or canny as his captain. He actually had the upper hand over his skeletal opponent and perhaps this made him too confident. The man bashed aside his opponent’s blade with brute strength and followed through by impaling his sword into the skeleton’s ribcage, right where the heart would have been. When he tried to pull his scimitar free again he found that the curved blade had become stuck in the skeleton’s ribs. If he had let the blade go and left it there then he may have lived to tell the tale, but instead he tried to pull the sword free. The skeleton promptly swung its falchion into the side of his neck and sent his head tumbling into the sand in a geyser of crimson fluid. Lifeless fingers loosened their grip on the scimitar’s hilt and the headless body toppled to the ground.

The skeleton, with the scimitar still protruding from its ribcage, creaked away from its victory in search of another victim. It found one almost immediately as it lunged forward and plunged its falchion into the back of another sailor who had been busy fighting one of its fellows.

The unfortunate man screamed as the front of the skeleton’s blade erupted from his chest in a spray of blood and the scream turned to a gurgle as his opponent promptly took the opportunity to slash his throat open and the man fell to the floor to bleed his life into the sand.

Only two of Sinbad’s sailors remained and they fought on bravely. Having seen how their captain had defeated his opponent they began to lure their skeletons in the same way towards the edge of the plateau.

Meanwhile Sinbad took it upon himself to avenge his fallen comrades by engaging the two skeletons responsible for their deaths.

There were two more skeletons that had not been engaged and were menacing Ameline who had quickly learned that an arrow would not fell these skeletal combatants. She was leading them a merry dance, keeping one step ahead of them as they tried to stab her or cut her down with their blades. They were quick and nimble, but she was quicker. She led them into the trees and caused one of them to run head long into the trunk of one tree, leaping aside at the last minute as it ran at her in an attempt to run her through. Unfortunately the impact was not enough to shatter the bones apart and it was soon after her again.

Ameline was not just running in any random direction, however, she was leading them somewhere.

Very soon she found herself at the point that she’d been aiming for.

Ameline emerged from the jungle and grabbed the trunk of a nearby tree to haul herself backwards as she narrowly avoided pitching over the precipice. She ducked behind that same tree and waited for her pursuers to catch up. Very soon the two skeletons dashed out of the undergrowth. The first one didn’t see the edge and immediately toppled over it to smash upon the rocks below. The second one managed to come to a halt just in time… only to be shoved over anyway by Ameline.

She peered over the precipice to inspect the carnage she had wrought before turning back to where she had left her allies.

By now all of the skeletons had either been pushed or lured over the edge of the plateau, or in some way smashed beyond any possibility of ever getting back up again.

The heroes turned their attention to Hareechun who did not seem in the least bit perturbed by the fact that his skeleton minions had been so easily overcome.

He still held his big gun in his hand and he was brandishing it as though there were still mischief that could be wrought.

“Very clever.” He goaded with an obnoxious grin. “But with this weapon I have enough Deathites to make you all into my skeletal minions to do my bidding!”

“You won’t do that though because that would be too easy!” the Doctor taunted him. “You’d much rather set another one of your monsters on us!”

“Perhaps I will only make half of you my minions and make you fight and kill each other?” Hareechun replied; he levelled his weapon at the Doctor. “My only regret is that you will not retain the awareness to be horrified when you kill the woman you love!”

An arrow flitted out of the jungle behind them and buried itself deep into Hareechun’s single eye.

The Cyclops bellowed with rage and pain, dropping his weapon and clutching both hands at the offending arrow in his eye. He stumbled back and forth roaring and cursing until he finally managed to tug the arrow free in a spray of blood and vitreous fluid.

“Ameline!” he screamed. “You’ll pay for that you venomous bitch!”

“Come and get me!” Ameline called to him.

Hareechun latched onto the sound of her voice and ran towards her, bellowing with murderous intent.

“That’s it! I’m right here!” Ameline taunted him.

Hareechun could hear that she was right in front of him and he lunged at her with both hands intent on tearing her in two… and he toppled forward head first over the precipice to land in a broken heap on the sandy beach below.

The Doctor walked up to Ameline as she stood at the edge of the plateau looking down on her fallen foe.

“Have you by any chance seen _The 7 th Voyage of Sinbad_?” he asked casually.

“I’m sorry?” Ameline looked at him with no small amount of confusion.

“Nothing never mind.” The Doctor replied with a knowing smile.

“It’s not over.” Ameline said to him solemnly. “When Hareechun doesn’t return then the Cyclopeans will just send someone else after me. They will not rest until they have killed me and wiped out all of my kind.”

“Well,” the Doctor said, his smile unwavering. “I think I know something that I can do about that.”

 

A short while later they were waving good bye to Hareechun’s ship as it sped off on its way out of Earth’s atmosphere with a pre-programmed flight back to the Cyclopean mother-ship keyed into its navigation computer. Its only passenger was the broken corpse of its one time pilot, Hareechun which had been strapped into the pilot’s seat along with an extra surprise.

The Doctor had found Hareechun’s mini-scope and returned all of the creatures within it back to where they came from.

It didn’t take too long for the assassin’s ship to reach the mother-ship’s position with its hyper-space propulsion system.

The ship had been brought on board into the docking bay after ‘Hareechun’ had successfully transmitted his clearance codes.

The Emperor had then requested Hareechun’s presence on the bridge. When his summons was not answered a security team was sent to the assassin’s ship to teach the insubordinate wretch some manners.

The team had forced their way on board the assassin’s ship and found the dead body of Hareechun strapped into his seat along with a large device that was counting down.

4…

The security captain reached for his communicator…

3…

“My Lord Emperor…”

2…

“We have been…”

1…

“…tricked!”

BOOM!!!

The explosion of the Cyclopean mother-ship was visible from several planets in the system. It was an interesting and rather beautiful spectacle for those who saw it. When it was over it was talked about for quite some time.

What was it?

Will it happen again?

What a shame that they hadn’t been able to get a picture of it.

Then the very next day everyone had forgotten about it and gone onto something else.

 

“If all goes well you will never have to worry about the Cyclopeans coming after you ever again.” The Doctor said to Ameline soon after the ship’s departure.

“Thank you, Doctor. I will be forever in your debt for all that you and Captain Sinbad have done for me.” Ameline had gushed with gratitude.

“Now that this is over is there anywhere that I could drop you off in my TARDIS?” the Doctor asked her.

“No, I think I might stay here on Earth and join Captain Sinbad’s crew, if he’ll have me?” Ameline told him with a look at the handsome sea captain.

“My ship will be all the happier with you on board, my dear!” Sinbad replied with a bow.

Soon after that they returned to the _Chimera_ in the TARDIS and once the Doctor and Clover had bid farewell to their new friends they departed into the vortex for their next adventure.

 

The Doctor stepped away from the console as soon as the TARDIS was in flight.

“Well that was fun.” Clover opined. “Who knew that Sinbad was real and that we’d get to meet him and have an actual proper adventure with monsters, skeletons and Cyclopes!”

“I know. It makes you wonder who else might be real!” the Doctor enthused. “Perhaps we should travel to Victorian London and see if we can look up Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street?”

“Perhaps another time.” Clover replied. “Personally I’m hoping for an alien planet on our next trip.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see where and when we end up!” the Doctor told her. “Until then…”

He stepped up to Clover and took her into his arms, moving in for a warm, deep kiss which she responded to with fierce passion.

The Doctor broke the kiss and took hold of the bottom of Clover’s blouse. He started to lift it.

Clover looked at him questioningly.

“I thought you wanted to wait?” she said breathlessly.

“We waited.” The Doctor replied with a smile. “I’m ready now.” And with those words he lifted her blouse off over her head.

 

**The End**


End file.
